Gold Mine Circuit

Starting from Booloumba Creek Day Use Area, Kenilworth, this circuit walk takes you to the barred up entrance of a historic abandoned gold mine from the 1920s. Housing hundreds of bats inside, the place feels like a former base of the black cowled vigilante. The hike up features plenty of photo opportunities from the interesting wildlife to the picturesque creek setting in the dense rainforest. You’ll have a tranquilizing experience as the track is usually quiet outside the peak season. Keep an eye out for snakes. Depending on the weather and track conditions, you may need to park your vehicle 2-3 kilometres up north and cross Booloumba Creek twice on foot unless you have a 4WD vehicle with good clearance. Let us begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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Safer Bushwalks
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There

Start	(-26.6448896,152.6496403)
Mode	Car (Depending on the weather and track conditions, you may need to park your vehicle 2-3 kilometres up north and cross Booloumba Creek twice on foot unless you have a 4WD vehicle with good clearance.)
Directions	From Bruce Highway, M1 Turn on to then drive for 330 m At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Bli Bli Road, 23 and drive for another 1 km Turn left onto Coronation Avenue and drive for another 1.3 km Turn right onto Price Street and drive for another 880 m Keep left and drive for another 60 m Continue onto Nambour Mapleton Road, 23 and drive for another 10.4 km Turn right onto Obi Obi Road and drive for another 20 km Turn left onto Eumundi Kenilworth Road, 22 and drive for another 1 km Turn slight left onto Elizabeth Street, 22 and drive for another 7.5 km Turn right onto Booloumba Creek Road and drive for another 5.3 km Turn right and drive for another 390 m

Track Notes

Getting started
From Booloumba Creek Day Use Area(off Booloumba Creek Road), follow the signage and head along the singular walking track(Conondale Range Great Walk) as you move directly away from the dirt/gravel road. After about 325 metres, turn sharp left at the 4-way intersection to continue along Gold Mine Circuit(clockwise). This direction of travel features a gradual incline via a switchback track, and a steep decline via a near straight track.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. There is a toilet (about 25 m back from the start). After 255 m come to the "Booloumba Creek No 3 Campground" (110 m on your left). W:www.npsr.qld.gov.au
	After another 95 m (at the intersection of Boloomba Ck No1 campground to Great Walk & Conondale Range Great Walk) turn left, to head along Conondale Range Great Walk. Keep left. After another 980 m (at the intersection of Conondale Range Great Walk & Creek circuit) continue straight, to head along Conondale Range Great Walk. After another 550 m pass a seat (5 m on your right)., has a backrest.
	After another 100 m (at the intersection of Gold Mine Circuit & Conondale Range Great Walk) continue straight, to head along Conondale Range Great Walk.
	The starting point of an optional sidetrip. This optional side trip takes you to the Strangler Cairn, a unique work of art made by the renowned artist Andy Goldsworthy. This will add about 10 minutes to your hike. To start this optional side trip veer left here. On returning from this side trip turn right when you get back to this intersection. Details below. After another 210 m (at the intersection of Gold Mine Circuit & Conondale Range Great Walk) turn right, to head along Gold Mine Circuit. After another 600 m find the "Gold Mine" (35 m on your left). Gold Mine Gold Mine An abondoned barred-up gold mine from the 1920s. + - An abondoned barred-up gold mine from the 1920s.
	Turn right, to head along Gold Mine Circuit.
	After another 245 m (at the intersection of Conondale Range Great Walk & Gold Mine Circuit) veer left, to head along Conondale Range Great Walk. After another 640 m (at the intersection of Creek circuit & Conondale Range Great Walk) continue straight, to head along Conondale Range Great Walk.
	After another 980 m (at the intersection of Boloomba Ck No1 campground to Great Walk & Conondale Range Great Walk) turn right, to head along Conondale Range Great Walk. After another 325 m come to "Booloumba Creek No 4 Campground". W:www.npsr.qld.gov.au
	The end.

This optional side trip takes you to the Strangler Cairn, a unique work of art made by the renowned artist Andy Goldsworthy. This will add about 10 minutes to your hike.

Turn map	Directions & comments
	At the intersection of Gold Mine Circuit & Conondale Range Great Walk Start heading along Conondale Range Great Walk (a walking track).
	After another 350 m turn right. After another 60 m come to "Strangler Cairn". Strangler Cairn Strangler Cairn A granite cairn made by renowned artist Andy Goldsworthy that has a strangler fig sapling planted on top of it, standing 4 metres tall above ground. It is expected that the roots of the strangler fig will wrap around the man-made cairn in about a hundred years, making it an exceptional work of art for future generations. + - A granite cairn made by renowned artist Andy Goldsworthy that has a strangler fig sapling planted on top of it, standing 4 metres tall above ground. It is expected that the roots of the strangler fig will wrap around the man-made cairn in about a hundred years, making it an exceptional work of art for future generations.
	The end. Turn around and retrace your steps back the 410 m to the main route.

Terrain

Gold Mine Circuit

Grading

	Class 3/6 Moderate track
Length	4.9 km
Time	1 h 30 min to 2 h 30 min

Quality of track	Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage	Clearly signposted (2/6)
Infrastructure	Generally useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats) (2/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (2/6)
Weather	Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)

Some facilities on route

Camp site: There are 2 on route, on average they are 1.7 km apart with the largest gap of 4.7 km.

Toilet: There is one -24 m back from the start.

Seat: There is one 1.8 km from the start.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Toilet	-24 m	[toilet]
Camp site	230 m	Booloumba Creek No 3 Campground
Seat	1.8 km	[seat]
Camp site	4.9 km	Booloumba Creek No 4 Campground

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